the goan I network
MAPUSA
While government offices, schools and the main Mapusa market remained open on Wednesday, private buses, taxis, rickshaws and motorcycle pilots stayed off the road evoking a mixed response to the strike call given by Goa Convention of Workers in Bardez.
Staff attendance in government offices was normal, but most offices saw much lesser public attendance than a normal day. No untoward incident was reported from any quarters. “The strike was peaceful. There was no incident reported even as adequate police were deployed at vantage points in our jurisdiction,” said Mapusa Police Inspector Tushar Lotlikar.
Although Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) buses where plying round the clock, several passengers were found stranded at the Mapusa bus-stand.
Since morning, at least two KTC inspectors deployed at the Mapusa bus-stand were seen directing buses to different destinations depending on the demand.
“We have been routing buses to areas where the demand is heavy. For two hours since 6.30 am to 8.30 am we have released 50 buses to various areas,” said Vinayak Naik, a KTC inspector.
While the KTC shuttle service took care of passengers along the Mapusa-Panaji route, people from the villages were the worst affected.
The strike had some impact on the coastal villages. However, government had increased the operation of KTC buses along the Calangute-Candolim route due to the strike.
“Life appeared quite normal in Calangute although private buses and taxis remained off the road. There may have been slight drop of people moving on the streets but it was not noticeable,” said Premanand Divkar, a resident of Calangute.
The government had also made elaborate arrangements to transport people arriving at Tivim railway station.
KTC buses were ferrying passengers from Tivim railway station to main bus-stand at Mapusa and Panaji.
Most schools functioned normally and ended at normal working time.
